Two experiments using New Zealand White x Californian rabbits were carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of fiber source particle size on digestive traits of growing rabbit and the production, chemical composition and cecotrophes nutritive contribuition on dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) base. Four diets were prepared with different particle size of sugar cane bagasse with average geometric diameters of .231, .506, .616 and .833 mm. The productive performance and weight of the full and empty digestive tract, digestive tract content, full and empty cecum and cecum content were not affected, however the ammonia nitrogen percentage in the caecum content was significantly increased by increasing particle size of sugar cane bagasse. In cecotrophy evaluation, effects of particle size on cecotrophes production, DM and CP content ingested were observed, but the cecotrophes chemical composition was not affected by diets.
cecotrophy; digestive traits; particle size; rabbit
